The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-12-18
RUNNING A BIG LIBRARY.
NEW IDEAS TAXING RooT IN OLD COZ
UMBIA COLLEGE,
A Library where All Are Made to Feel NJ
Home, Where You May Ruy What Yes
Need, Even Your Mcais-New Ideaa,

A Library Where All Are Made to Feel NJ
Home, Where You May Huy What Yes
Need, Even Your Mcais-New Ideas.
The library Of Columbia College has been
spoken Of rs the best-managed library in the
world. TIL Pail Mall Gazette used exactly those
words in referring to 1t, and NJ. Buisson Of the
French Department OF Instruction. who was
tho Commissioner OF his country at the Phila-
delphia and New Orleans expositions, said in
an elaborate report that he had visited the
libraries OF England, France, and Germany,
and that the highest standard yet attained In
library management is reached in this ancient
college in New York.
The building In which the books arc housed
does not seem wholly admirable to the reporter
who visited 1t tho other day. for, though II il
large and roomy, 1t docs not provide for the
growth OF the collection. The only place for
new shelves is higher on the walls above the
present ones, and to put any galleries in will
cut of the light and impair tho effect and use
fulness Of tho great and costly room. But In
other respects the library makes q good ap-
appearance. 1t is light, warm, big. and open.
Tho truth is" said Mr.. Melvil Dewey, the
librarian, that the development Of the perfect
library Is seen here only in its infancy. Four
years ago the books were scattered In ten
places, down town In tho law school, up stairs.
and down stairs. In all there were $4,000 vol.
umes. Since then We have nearly doubled the
number OF. books. getting as many. In four
Us to the ma anaeemen OF the library. time Is
needed for the development Of a system whose
means a man can do more in an hour than in
any. other library in the world. The aim is to
n sns sse s Z msa t. pd do ibS l sime. F smG aSIs s IF m mus;
c,onduco to his comfort and CONFERENCE.-The
light. the seats, the SntaloEuing. eyerything; IN
Be fe' original Or not; Il Il helps in MH this direction re- diSn
the nh no n I until n Pf 70 o SeSa ir ct n / S!sl SS IL II
idsa tS SSse 3 ptoI sInndiniy Ssor It a heinz Mi Nj i,t Re y sy'.
iess t pump = eU Always s0 IN se snisaa T II i1f Re q | a1i;
s safstS Sfii9' eons!aers sio and SdfP %aintains 90 1YSs.i e:
H 2sss We was c OF nfasi1s and spf he ,V devoted 81 d's al Il:
time and thought to the subject that was
the apparatus or the arrangement Of It. In.
candescent electric lights are used under far
i tRs i IS o 9 4 t tsBael sho IF d fs5a Or sH ssss. an Er se
The result is a soft, cathedrai-like,, restfui
tables and the kind Of tables and chairs best
shs'e saS 81 . sas q aiu eRpseim wepe 'T TRs'e dan @%sr' 81 4
scarcity Of cool drinking water In summer time
wafer wss sq pipa doi Hsfin in a BY yet ths pssSlsi9 But Of al
this hs might b be true q an, any library; nj um,
astudent or copyist is likely to need he may buy
In the room at about oost.paper, pads. pens.
On. Then he may telephone wheresoeyer tele-
phoning is done, and telegram blanks, with
be bei lad 10 'f IieSt meals ansM are ar 'a also S. served sfs to si tSos %
who are ,engrossed with long tasks that they
do not Ike | to Leave uni, 9ntln isl edit, There f. 9
pages will bring luncheons to those who. wish
them. at cost price. AZ letters written in The
t are bulletins 2Ga ss'i ior she ed If sSfisp'c " stdpd issss
np pde sp Of new SSJ ppublioations sA %iec9u res p to Be-
viii be useful for the specialist to know. Two
to answer the questions OF ali who use
the library and to explain the system Of cata-
dents Of especial subjects in six quiet little
rooms off the main library room: Here readers
many hooks, no matter how many, may Seep
them all stacked up on the table set apart for
the them %, and may tsk lee Ieay ,It them Po there e from tSs d day to
be- collected anew. Not even The necessary
sistar BedsS T 1Ahss REu m 1stw eess ibS is ss g s waas 9s
that keeps account 81 ali such loans Of books,
f e. th Is IN II t ass 81 y s only a ena sS n q 81 pr E w9eh fo sna
pGwSa T from a the authors table and put back
called decimal classification, and consists In
distributing the books under ten heads. o.
genera, works like. The Sun. Hd,per's Magazine.
or AppletSon's Cyelopediali !. philosophy; :,
ssGiencse; bi g, useful 1 arts; q ! fine fine arts; 8. !, at tha.
divided into ten classes, as. for instance, the
eighth class. representing literature. is divided
thus: $40, American: 800, English; $50, Ger
man $40, French: $50. Italian; 800, Spanish:
$40. Latin; $50. Greek; 800. minor languages,
In this way each subject Is capable of division
and sub-diyision into 1000 sections. 1t looks
complicated. but works clearly, and has sui.
fcient simplicity for the little pages to learn II,
so that In most cases they can instantly direct
wanted, for they know the infiexible shorthand
these numbers represent so that literature Is
always 8, history Is always 8, American litera-
tmre is alwas 81. American history must DO 81.
Then New England history adds a1.wew will say.
to the 81 making it 81. and,each Of the New
England States Is numbered 80 as to be in.
stnntly indicated to the mind. The system Of
cataloguing Ia extended to card series giving
whatever bears. upon. each subject, the cards
being arranged by authors and by their works.
want to consult. In two weeks. II yop win get
work with them.", In the Columbia College
library he now needs only to wait ten minutes
or whatever time 1t takes to get all tho books
down from the shelves without any hunting
ut all, and II the author studied the card racks
he would be able to SEQ whether there were not
other works than those on his list bearing on
the subject In hand, and which he would wish
to add to his pile. This system, only slightly
modified, is now being introduced In the Hsr-